Liam Nolan’s first taste of the Mediterranean golf experience has been a tough one as he continues to swim against the current at the halfway stage of Club de Golf Alcanada’s Rolex Grand Final.
It looked like he was drowning on Friday morning as a horror front nine saw him turn in six-over 42 but a clean back nine of three birdies saw him “avoid embarrassment” and salvage some pride in a second round of 75 although his DP World Tour card bid is all but over barring a miraculous weekend.
“I got off to another really tricky start, the greens were really tough with tucked pins,” said Nolan who is five-over overall but plus eight for his front nine play this week as he trails the lead by twelve shots.
“It was one of those days where you don’t really know what’s happening on the golf course, feel like you are swimming against the current. I did well to come back on the back nine and make it not really embarrassing! Hopefully just continue my back nine play into the weekend.”
The Galway man needed to make a big move early doors in round two to make inroads towards the top-20 on the Road to Mallorca rankings from his position of 43rd. He did that, but it was in the wrong direction.
Nolan endured a horror run from the third of bogey, double bogey, bogey, before a three-putt on the ninth condemned him to a double bogey as he struggled with the glacial putting surfaces.
“There’s not a whole lot going through your mind except try get to the next hole and see what it brings but unfortunately it didn’t bring much for me on the front nine. I tried to reset on the back nine and did a very good job.”
But the 25-year-old, Rolex Grand Final debutant has shown great mental resilience throughout his maiden season as a professional and birdies on the 10th, 11th and 16th completed an admirable fightback and gives him encouragement heading into the weekend.
“I tried not to get too frustrated out there it’s just a really tricky course with some really tricky greens so even when it wasn’t going my way I tried my best not to get angry and that gives you a better opportunity to make some birdies on the back nine.
“It is hard to wrap your head around that you are six-over through nine at the final event of the HotelPlanner Tour but there’s nothing you can do. It’s not like I’m not trying to hit good shots, I’m trying my hardest all the time, they’re just not coming out how I want them. A head-scratcher but forget about it and bring my back nine golf into tomorrow.
He will need two low rounds in the 60s to run the tables and land the most unlikely of promotion bids, but he still has nothing to lose with the fallback of Q-School’s Final Stage to come next week.
“I’ve played with some really good players this week, today was Filippo (Celli) and Oihan (Guillamoundeguy) who already have their DP World Tour cards locked up, just seeing what they do and take as much out of it as I can although I’m not playing great. It’s class to be here and it’s been really enjoyable. Still have two days to play and move up a few places.”
At the top, the lead is shared by five players including Scottish duo Daniel Young and Euan Walker on eight-under.
